December 8, 2022 WiLDAF and Gender Based Violence (GBV) MKUKI Coalition in collaboration with UNFDP and Development partners in US like Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and Irish Embassies in Tanzania Agencies and Development partners commemorate 16 Days of Activism by honoring and acknowledging women movements and leadership in preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls by giving the ANT-OGBV Champions award. The event is celebrated on 8th December 2022 at Cardinal Rugambwa social Centre, Dar es salaam Tanzania where by participants from different regions were attended including Zanzibar.
Zaituni Njovu Executive Director of ZAINA FOUNDATION awarded a trophy of a Champion Using Innovation in Ending Online Gender Based Violence to women and girls, which was given by the Ambassador of Switzerland in Tanzania, Hon. Shazo. Zaituni won this award due to her efforts in ending online violence to girls and advancing civic space among young female activists from five Universities and colleges in Tanzania through Digital Voice Project aimed to increase civic engagement and digital safety awareness to young women in universities aged 17-25 years in Tanzania, though capacity building on how they can remain protected from Online Gender Based Violence and Offline violence and improve engagement of women in online spaces. This program goes with hashtag #BeOnline .
TANZANIA is the country in East Africa with population of 61 million. Up to April 2022 TANZANIA have 30 million internet users and only 18% are women. Most women in Tanzania not leverage internet spaces due to online violence like cyber bullying, trolling, and porno revenge. Zaituni is nominated as one of the 16 champions of change for 16 Days of Activism from more than 3600 nominees who competed in this award. Judges from Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Kigoma, Dar es salaam and Mtwara involved in the selection process by analyzing the different criteria such as hardworking of individuals, impact level of the change, unusual methods used to get impacts and creativity.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
Zaituni dedicated the ward to all Zaina Foundation staff and all supporters and stakeholders who support the work of promoting the state of digital rights in TANZANIA